Shriver to appear Oct. 23

October 17, 2012

MIDDLEBOURNE - A Wilbur man arrested after allegedly attempting to break into a home and attack those inside with an axe-like tool could still face more charges, officials said this week.

Howard P. Shriver was set to appear in Tyler County Magistrate Court Oct. 17 for a preliminary hearing. However, his attorney David White filed a motion Oct. 15 to continue the hearing until 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 23.

Shriver was arrested Oct. 9 on charges of attempted murder, nighttime burglary and violation of a domestic protection order following an early morning incident. According to the sheriff's office, dispatchers received the call in reference to a possible violation of a domestic violence order. Neighbors of Shriver allegedly observed him driving toward his home without his headlights on, and he was driving down a lane that led to the home where his wife and two young children were.

Before the deputies arrived at the home, dispatchers were told by the original caller that five gunshots were heard coming from the Shrivers' property. Shriver was then seen driving away in the direction of Doddridge County. Deputies later determined the alleged gunshots heard came as Shriver allegedly struggled to break into the home and a vehicle.

As the Tyler County deputy arrived on the scene, a woman came to the caller's home looking for her daughter who had fled for help. Officials said the home was on a dead end lane about one mile from Wilbur, with only one other residence on the road. The deputy was able to locate the juveniles.

According to the police report, Shriver appeared to have disabled the telephone and used a splitting maul to gain entry into the home, battering open the door and allegedly threatening his wife and children with the splitting maul.

The daughter was able to flee the home on foot, while the mother and son attempted to flee in a vehicle. The suspect then allegedly tried to attack them while in the vehicle, disabling the car. The police report states the mother and son fled on foot into the fields and weeds nearby, coming out only after they saw the suspect leave. No injuries were reported and no firearm was found.

Shriver was stopped by Shinnston Police at 1:38 a.m. and taken into custody. He faces a felony DUI charge in Harrison County, along with the charges in Tyler County. He is being held in the North Central Regional Jail in Greenwood on $15,000 bond from Harrison County and $500,000 bond from Tyler County.

Earlier this week, Tyler County Sheriff Earl P. Kendle Jr. said an investigation into the incident is ongoing, with the possibility of more charges being brought against Shriver. Though he said he could not speak specifically about the case due to the ongoing investigation, Kendle said any time a domestic violence call is received, he and his deputies take as many precautions as possible.

"All calls are serious, and there is no way to say they aren't serious," he said. "It could be a call regarding someone you've known all your life, but in a domestic situation they turn into an entirely different person. We always stress safety first."